1. Field of the Invention
The invention hereof is directed to a combination volumetric heating, such as microwave energy, and convection oven having a continuous feed of articles therein to rapidly heat articles placed therein. More particularly, the oven hereof includes a ventilation system having a controllable exhaust to sufficiently reduce buildup of condensate within a cavity of the oven while maintaining effective convection heating and limiting escape of microwaves into the environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is sometimes desirable to subject a commercial product to heating prior to delivery to a commercial establishment or the consumer. As an example, meats such as bacon may be partially or fully cooked during processing prior to packaging and delivery to the consumer. While traditionally bacon processing has included a smokehouse curing segment, it is a goal to retain the “smokehouse” flavor without the long curing times associated with such curing. Thus, various curing or treatment processes for processed meats seek to eliminate this step by substituting alternative curing procedures, sometimes reducing the organoleptic qualities of the product. Cooking the bacon at the processing facility reduces the amount of cooking or heating necessary by a restaurant or consumer in the kitchen. In circumstances where food must be quickly and also safely prepared, commercial cooking of meat at the processing facility may not only enhance the desirability of the product from the standpoint of reduced preparation time, but may reduce total energy consumption by reducing the amount of energy necessary to cook the meat to table readiness when consumers as a whole are considered. Thus, partially or fully cooked meats, and in particular individual slices of bacon, may be rapidly heated to table readiness by a variety of conventional means without the necessity of fully cooking the cured bacon by the consumer.
A variety of different processes have heretofore been developed for curing or pre-cooking meat in a commercial facility. Such processes are broadly described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,957,756, 5,067,460, and 5,997,925 with respect to meat, and in particular bacon, and the disclosures thereof are incorporated by reference herein.
However, a number of challenges are presented by heating articles, and in particular cooking meat such as bacon in a continuous commercial oven. One such problem is the desire to reduce energy demands by retaining or recirculating air within the oven, and the countervailing concern that by such retention or recirculation, vapors driven from the heated article such as meat grease will condense within the oven and on the meat or other article, which may degrade the quality of the article. Another challenge is the need to control temperature and humidity within the oven to provide adequate quality control, while at the same time providing for continuous conveyance of the articles into and out of the oven, and possibly introduce moisture or flavorings into the oven cavity. Moreover, the continuous cooking of meats in particular results in a large volume of liquid grease which must be adequately handled.
As a result, there has developed a need for an improved continuous oven which provides rapid and thorough heating of articles placed therein.